Woman Charged With Leaving Disabled Adults In Van In 100-Degree Heat
By Samantha Abernethy in News on Jun 29, 2012 10:20PM
An Elgin woman is accused of leaving four mentally challenged adults in a van outside when temperatures were 100 degrees yesterday. Authorities say Kathy Reed, 47, was in charge of the adults who "couldn't take care of themselves." She left them in the van while she went into the Evergreen Park Walmart while she bought a grill and some charcoal.
About 3:45 p.m. Thursday, while the temperature was 99 and the heat index exceeded 110, Reed drove four of her clients to the store in a van without air conditioning, McCarthy said. She went in to do some shopping, leaving the four outside in the van for 37 minutes, McCarthy said. A good Samaritan noticed the vehicle with the four people inside and called police, McCarthy said.
Reed has been charged with criminal neglect of an adult with disabilities.